Auditory attention modeling within SONORUS ESR 10

Abstract

This contribution presents the outcomes of the research conducted within the scope of the SONORUS ESR 10 project theme. Within this theme, the influence of human auditory attention on the analysis and design of urban soundscapes is being investigated. In a first stage, analyses were performed on the dataset from a measurement campaign conducted in eight city parks in Antwerp. Statistical modeling demonstrated the feasibility of acquiring human attention to different sound type categories, albeit on a very broad level. Subsequently, a model of how the sounds which people hear in parks influence their tranquility perception will be presented. Finally, an already available computational model based on a recurrent neural network was improved, and maps of human attention over the parks area will be displayed. In a second stage, in order to bridge the gap between hearing of attended sounds as reported in questionnaires and people's immediate attention, data from an earlier EEG experiment has been explored. To this end, a saliency model based on dynamic modulation ripples was created. Future urban sound planners could use all proposed models as tools for steering their decisions in evaluating human attention and perception of sounds in present or planned environments.